Liturgical Vestment Made of Indigenous Materials Showcased at The Museum of Transfiguration Monastery, Bukidnon

The highlight for me during my visit to The Museum of Transfiguration Monastery in Bukidnon was the different design of Liturgical Vestment made from indigenous materials found here in the Philippines. Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated with the Christian religion. The designer of this masterpiece is no other then Dom Martin Gomez, who before entering the monastery was a well know Haute Couturer. Even though he left the limelight when he entered the monastery his passion for designing still burns in him. He started conducting research on indigenous materials by visiting places in the Philippines, tapping talents from the countries best weavers from several tribal groups to help him on his designs. I have the complete photos of the exhibit but I will only post some of his works because it will take time and space on my site.

Rose chasuble of piña-seda (pineapple-silk blend) has "calado" (drawn thread work) all over the surface with stylized petal designs embroidered all around the hem and on the stole. For third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday) and the fourth Sunday of Lent (Laetare Sunday).

Green chasuble of cotton hand-woven in the Mountain Province in Northern Luzon. T'nalak material of abaca woven by the T'boli of South Cotabato is used for the stole. Green hand embroidery in weave stitch traces the T'nalak design.

Yellow-gold humeral veil of hand woven abaca from Kalibo, aklan has geometric embroidery made in Lumban, Laguna.

Ecru benediction cope of hand-woven abaca from Kalibo, Aklan is embroidered in satin stitch with the various flowers of the Philippines by the "bordadoras" of Cavite. The whole surface features drawn thread work done by the "bordadoras" of Lumban. Held in place by a gold plated morse, this cope may be used for benediction on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1).

Procession canopy made of hand woven abaca embroidered in "Langkit" patterns. An embroidered dove, the symbol of the holy spirit, is at the center. Shell beads and carved cenarion and mother of pearl shells in petal shapes hang like tassels all around the edges. Wooden poles are usually used to hold the canopy during processions.

Beautiful Painting Donated by the Late President Corazon C. Aquino at The Museum of Transfiguration Monastery Bukidnon

This is a continuation of my previous post on The Museum of Transfiguration Monastery in Malaybalay Bukidnon. This painting can be found together with my previous post about Sto. Niño Gospel Cover Book. The painting is donated by out late president Corazon C. Aquino in which she gave during her visit in the Monastery's Silver Jubilee Celebration. I forgot to ask Dom Martin if it was Cory who painted it or if it was just one her painting collections. I was busy trying to take photos of some of the display. Here are the photos of the donated painting of the late president.

The Sto. Niño Gospel and The Sacramentary Book Cover in The Museum of Transfiguration Monastery at Malaybalay Bukidnon

I had to divide this into several post because there are plenty of nice exhibits found at The Museum of Transfiguration Monastery. Two of them would be the Sto. Niño Gospel Book Cover and the Sacramentary Book Cover.

The Sto. Niño Gospel Book Cover. This single item in the collection embodies the weaving and embroidery traditions of the whole Philippines. The base is of abaca woven by the B'laan tribe in Mindanao using guava leaves as dye to achieve a caramel beige color. The image of the Sto. Niño (Holy Child) is embroidered on banana-seda (abaca-silk blend) woven in Kalibo, Aklan. "Needle painting" embroidery of the Sto. Niño was done in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo, also in the Visayas, while the braided border of the medallion and the thread for the sunburst design were made by the Ifugao of Northern Luzon, of hand-rolled fiber from the bark of a tree. The gold embroidery, a craft learned from the Spanish, was done by the "bordadoras" in Manila while the seed pearls used for ornamentation came from Zamboanga.

Sacramentary book cover of hand woven abaca made by the B'laan of Mindanao. The braided border of the medallion and the thread for the sunburst design were made by the Ifugao of Northern Luzon, of hand-rolled fiber from the bark of a tree. The gold embroidery, a craft learned from the Spanish, was done by the "bordadoras" in Manila whilewhile the seed pearls used for ornamentation came from Zamboanga.

Monk's Blend Premium Coffee from the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Malaybalay Bukidnon

I have posted yesterday about the Transfiguration Monastery in Malaybalay Bukidnon. Aside from that nice church, don't forget to visit their gift shop where you can buy their famous coffee, Monk's Blend Coffee. I got to taste this coffee, harvested and made by the monk's themselves. Wow, its delicious, and what a kick hahahaha, it'll really gets you going for the day. Of course there are plenty of product to buy in the store aside from this well known coffee, there the peanut brittle, peanut butter, rosary, crucifix, souvenirs and more. Here are photos of the gift shop:

Transfiguration Monastery at Malaybalay Bukidnon

The Transfiguration Church in Malaybalay Bukidnon is a breath taking site if you ever had the time to visit Bukidnon. The design is unique, the pyramid shape makes the place inside cool because the ceiling is high. Wedding celebration would be great here, I mean the place is solemn, no noise coming from passing cars, unlike churches in the city proper. Here's some photos of this excellent place.